It’s no secret that rising labor costs are a concern for operators and it’s becoming harder to combat this without sacrificing quality of food or service. Consumers are looking for value, and service is a key component of value.² Given current cost pressures and labor shortages, finding back-of-house efficiencies is key to maintaining customer satisfaction without sacrificing profitability.

The Situation

Operators are being squeezed from every side:

• Food, labor and packaging costs are up 15-20% in the last six months³
• 33% of operators cite labor shortages as their most vexing economic challenge³
• 67% of operators say they are understaffed in prep/line/short order cooks³
• 32% say the culinary skills of their staff have dropped³

How to Maintain Value to the Customer

Improved efficiency can help maintain customer satisfaction even with fewer, greener staff. Some operators are reducing menu size, while others are introducing new menu items faster. Others are reporting that they are encouraging more off-premise ordering, while also reducing reliance on 3rd party delivery.³

Premade options are another way of finding efficiencies. Some operators are shifting to frozen products (15%) such as potatoes and fries, as well as fully prepared products (10%). With 57% of operators looking for labor-saving products, there's no denying they are a critical element in today's environment.³ High-quality frozen potato products cook quickly, and delivery-optimized fries that hold their crispiness up to 30 minutes, making them great for takeout, delivery, drive-thru, and dine-in. All while improving back-of-house labor efficiency and customer satisfaction.

Labor saving frozen potato products cook quickly, and frozen coated fries hold their crispness for up to 30 minutes. This is not just great for delivery, but also improves efficiency and patron satisfaction on premise.

Content courtesy of Lamb Weston

¹Datassential Prepping for Recession

²Global Data July 2022

³One Table State of the Operator 2022 Datassential